Life Without Her
by NoZones
Summary: AU. Sakura was taken from Naruto moments after they were married. Five years later, he still misses her, but is trying to get on with his life.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto should've been happy; he was on his way to reaching his goal.

"Congratulations on your promotion!" said Iruka. "There's no doubt now you'll be head of this company one day!"

"Thanks," said Naruto, doing his best to smile. "That means a lot, coming from you."

Naruto would've been happy, if Sakura was around to hear the good news. In fact, she was part of the reason he worked so hard in the first place. He knew he would need to be financially secure if they wanted have a family. Now that it seemed this might never happen, he wasn't quite as motivated anymore. Still, he kept up his work in order to avoid unwanted attention. The last thing he wanted was pity.

Just then Kakashi walked in.

"I see you have some unused vacation time," he said. "Also, you performance seems to be slipping ever-so-slightly. I suggest you take a few days off."

"I think I can make that decision on my own," Naruto replied.

"Fair enough. I just figured you could use the rest. After all, you got your promotion too soon to lose it through a careless mistake."

Naruto couldn't argue with Kakashi's logic. He was starting to feel the strain from all that overtime. Plus, there was a good chance he'd be in no mood for work tomorrow. In the end, he got permission to use as many of his days off as he needed.

In a way, he was relieved to be leaving his workplace, but he also dreaded being alone at home. Being there always reminded him of the life he should be living. Still, he realized he couldn't just pretend Sakura didn't exist. That wouldn't be right.

On his way out, he ran into Sasuke. He didn't need this right now.

"What's the deal, Naruto?" he said. "You finally got fired?"

"Yeah, right!" Naruto replied. "I'm just using my vacation time. You should try earning some!"

"I have. I'm just saving it for something important."

"Just make sure you don't let everything fall apart while I'm gone!" Naruto got into his car and drove off before Sasuke could respond. He would've asked how Ino was doing, but he didn't feel like discussing anything related to marriage. He finally got home, and just wanted to lie down for a while. He had just about reached his bed when he suddenly got hungry. Or, more accurately, he'd been hungry for some time. He had skipped lunch without thinking.

Normally, he went to a ramen shop for lunch, but right now he didn't feel like leaving home. So, he got one of the instant ramen cups from the kitchen. On the way there, he noticed his and Sakura's wedding photo. She looked so beautiful in that white ballgown. It was easy to forget this was one of the few pictures he had of them after they were married. That is, he sometimes wanted to forget. He certainly didn't want to think about what might be happening to her at the moment.

By the time the ramen was ready there was no doubt Kakashi had made the right call in giving Naruto time off. The next day was going to be hard on him. It would certain bring up memories. Naruto hated himself for it, but sometimes he coudn't help thinking it might've been better if Sakura had just died that day. At least then he could have some closure. Naturally, he kept this to himself.

Several hours later, Naruto got ready for bed. Once he was done, he got into his bed and noticed the clock. Midnight - as of that moment, it was their fifth wedding anniversary. Five years since his reason for being was taken from him. He picked up a picture of Sakura in her wedding dress and just looked at it.

"Sakura, I swear," said Naruto. "If I ever find out where you are, I'll get you back from those bastards for sure." He put the picture back down. "And I'll make them pay!"

He then turned the light off and did his best to go to sleep. He just hoped he wouldn't remember any of his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto woke up that morning, at first wanting to just lie in bed all day. This lasted all of half an hour before he realized he really didn't want to be at home. So he ate a quick breakfast, then went out to wander around town for the day. He hopped on the nearest train just go on sight-seeing.

Despite his efforts to keep his mind occupied, his thoughts drifted toward the one subject he tried not to think about. He recalled the minutes that went by after his and Sakura's wedding. A car had pulled up without warning, and a group of men came out after the newlyweds. Despite Naruto's efforts, he couldn't stop them from grabbing Sakura and dragging her away with them. As angry and scared as he was, he couldn't help being amazed at how they managed to stuff her gown into their car so quickly. As they were driving off, she was able to take one last look at him. He could tell she was crying.

Even now, he found it hard to keep his composure when he thought of that moment. That was largely why he decided to take the train. He knew that visiting the places where they used to date would make it easier to focus on their happier moments. Also, he would be away from from his coworkers so if he lost it he could avoid being pitied, or worse, judged.

About the only people who could truly understand what he was going through were Kakashi and Anko, and that was because they'd been through it at one point. Anko was eventually rescued, but to this day she bore the mental scars from her ordeal. They also made it clear they didn't want anyone telling their daughters about any of it. Naruto could see where they were coming from; the girls wouldn't benefit any from knowing what had happened to their mother.

He also realized he hadn't seen her in a while. Of course, she had no real reason to come to the office, and Kakashi never invited him to their home, no doubt wishing to maintain a professional relationship. He decided to keep an eye out for Anko, and to talk to her if he had the chance. He probably wouldn't have anything to talk about, but he could always make something up.

The train came to a halt, and Naruto got off. He felt like taking a walk around this area. It was about noon, and he decided to have lunch. He saw a ramen shop and couldn't resist.

"I'd like one ramen," he said. "I don't care what flavor it is."

"In a minute," said the manager, who sounded rather bored.

Naruto was somewhat unimpressed with both the ramen and the service, but at least he wasn't hungry anymore. He then kept walking until he came across the tree where he and Sakura promised to save themselves for marriage. At the time, not having premarial sex sounded like a great idea, but now it was one of the few things he regretted. Still, she'd no doubt insist on them doing it all over again if they had to.

He went back and got on the train again. He'd already had enough, and was heading home. On the way back, he took some time to really pay attention to what was going by. He saw the buildings, the people, and everything else, and realized just how easy it was to take it all for granted. To just assume it would always be there. Finally, the train reached his stop, and he got off. As he walked home, he wanted nothing more than to avoid running into anyone he knew. Right now, all he wanted was to be left alone. He eventually made it inside his home without incident.

Once inside, he looked at the wedding picture. "Well, Sakura," he said. "It's been five years." He then went back to trying not to notice the picture. He then had an idea. He picked up the phone to call Anko.

"Hello," said Kakashi, on the other end. "this is the Hatake residence. There's no one around to take your call. Please leave your message after the tone."

Naruto then heard a beep. "Hi," he said. "This is Naruto. I was just hoping I could talk to Anko. If possible, could she call me back? Thanks." He then hung up.

With nothing else to do, he turned on the TV. This mostly served as a distraction for him with the exception of a news update asking for info "leading to Sakura Uzumaki's safe return". Thankfully there was no further mention of it. After watching some game shows, he turned off the TV.

Several hours later, it was time for bed. He was tempted to stay up late, but he knew that sticking to his schedule would make it easier when he went back to work. In truth, he was looking forward to it. Not having anything to do was both boring and annoying. In any case, he'd wait until morning before deciding what he would do that day. Naruto got into his bed and fell asleep, satisfied with having gotten through this day. 


	3. Chapter 3

A month had passed since the anniversary, and Naruto was back at work. He never did manage to have that talk with Anko; no doubt she knew what he wanted to discuss and just didn't feel like it. He decided to just let the matter drop.

At the moment he was looking through the inventory, making sure what they had matched what was on the list. This task could be boring sometimes, but it was his way of eventually getting his next promotion. With his anniversary no longer looming over him, he could focus more on his job, and on eventually running the company.

"Hey, Naruto!" said Sasuke. "We've just been assigned to deliver a package to one of our clients."

"Why us?" said Naruto.

"I don't really care for it either, but we're the only ones here with nothing important to do."

Before marrying Sasuke, Ino would've done this. But she'd since left the company to be a stay-at-home mom.

Naruto and Sasuke got into a company car and left for their client's office. On the way there, Naruto noticed that Sasuke seems a bit tired.

"What's up?" Naruto asked. "You not get enough sleep last night?"

"I fail to see how that's any of your business," Sasuke replied, "but if you must know, the police paid us a visit last night."

"What for?"

"It should probably wait until we're done with our client."

Minutes later, they were at their destination. A woman came out to greet them.

"Hello," she said, "I'm here to receive the package."

Sasuke presented a box to her. She took it then signed the form he handed to her. From the look on her face she was no doubt as bored with this as they were. After it was over, they went back into their car and headed back to the office.

"Okay," Naruto said, "now what was this you couldn't tell me earlier?"

"The cops were following up on possible leads," Sasuke said, "regarding your wife's abduction."

"Are you kidding?! They think you took Sakura?"

"They didn't think anything. They were just checking it out. In the end they decided we couldn't have had anything to do with it, and apologized for taking our time."

"That's good to hear."

There was nothing else said between there the rest of the way back. Once back in the office, Naruto went back to finishing up that that list check he was doing earlier. To his surprise, it was already done.

"You don't have to worry," said Shikamaru, "Once they realized your other job wasn't done I got stuck finishing it."

"Yeah, I know, 'What a drag'." Naruto replied.

"You know, mocking people like that could get you trouble someday."

"Yeah, okay." Naruto realized his shift was over, so he left.

Once home, he soon found a message on his answering machine. He pressed play.

"Hi," the recording said. "This is Anko. As you might've guess by now, I've sort of been avoiding you this last month. Sorry to be rude, but it's taken this long for me to work up the nerve. I'll be over in an hour. See you then!"

Just then, Naruto heard a knock on the door. As he guess, when he opened it Anko was there.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked. "I have a feeling you wanted to talk about Sakura, and what happened to me as well. That is, if you're still up to it."

He nodded, as he let her in. 


	4. Chapter 4

Anko sat down on a chair in the living room. Naruto could tell she'd been losing sleep over this. Still, he was glad to have someone to talk to. She waited a few moments before starting.

"Y'know," she said, "this is the first time I've really opened up about what happened to me. The man who kidnapped me, Orochimaru, was once a mentor to me. I trusted him. But he showed his true colors, and I wanted nothing more to do with him. Unfortunately, he saw it differently. He came to my wedding reception, and ripped me right out of my husband's arms."

Naruto knew most of this already, but he still couldn't help being shocked.

"For the next four years," she continued, "I was forced to cook and clean for him, and in return he abused the hell out of me. At times the only thing that kept me from ending it all was my certainty that Kakashi would eventually come to rescue me. As it turned out, it was a local cop that got me out of there. I never did find out his name."

She looked at Naruto, who now had a pained look on his face.

"Sorry," she said, "I must've brought up some unpleasant feelings."

"No, it's alright," said Naruto, who was now calm. "I was just wondering if, wherever Sakura is, she's thinking of me right now."

"It's not really my place to say, but I'd certainly bet on it."

"If it's not out of line, could you tell me more about Orochimaru?"

Anko hesitated before answering. "When I first met him, he was one of the few men I could bring myself to trust. After my parents went to prison for tax evasion, he was basically the closest thing I had to a father. Over time, though, it became apparent that he was not the man I thought he was." Anko then stopped for a minute.

"It's okay," said Naruto. "You don't have to go on."

"No, it's fine. I may as well finish the story. One day, he asked me to pack my bags, since we'd be going away soon. I soon found out the police were after him. It was something about a drug deal gone wrong. I did pack my bags, but then I ran to the cops. Unfortunately, they failed to arrest him."

"I had no idea."

"Anyway, sometime later, I met Kakashi. We quickly hit it off, and eventually he asked me to marry him. Then came the day of our wedding, and you know the rest."

"Y'know, now that I've heard your story," Naruto said, "I really believe that one day I'll see Sakura again."

"Glad to hear it," said Anko. "I'd hate to be the only one to benefit from our little chat. Oh, now that I'm thinking about it, Kakashi and I are about to go on a second honeymoon, and we need someone to look after our daughters. Could you please do it for us? We're willing to pay."

"Okay then. It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Great! They'll be coming over next week. Well, I better be going home now. The kids think I'm just taking a walk, and I'd rather not give them a reason to think otherwise."

"Later," said Naruto, as he watched Anko leave.

He couldn't get their discussion out of his mind. Hearing Anko talk about her experiences, Naruto could tell just how much she'd gone through. At that moment he almost dreaded finding Sakura, since then he'd learn what her captors had been doing with her. He quickly put that out of his mind.

The next day, Naruto got a phone call from the police.

"Hello, sir," said the officer on the other end. "Could you come to the station? We have some information that might interest you."

He rushed over to the station as soon as he could. There, he met an officer named Rock Lee.

"We have news regarding your wife," said Lee. "We now know who had her kidnapped. Have you, by chance, heard of the Akatsuki?" 


	5. Chapter 5

"Akatsuki?" said Naruto, who clearly had no idea what Lee was talking about.

"They are an organized crime group," said Lee. "For most of their history, they've focused on selling drugs and weapons. They've even pirated movies on the side. But ten years ago, they entered the slave trade. They seem to favor young, attractive women for the most part. According to some of our sources, many of they women they take they end up keeping for themselves."

"What do they usually do with these women?" asked Naruto, not certain he wanted to hear the answer.

"We're not all that certain. What I've told you is all we managed to get from our recent raid. Unfortunately, all the women who were held there had been relocated by the time we arrived."

Naruto could barely contain himself. If what Lee said was right, then Sakura might've just missed out on being rescued. Still, he managed to calm down. He could tell something was bothering Lee.

"I hate to butt in on your business..." Naruto said. "No, nevermind."

"No, it's okay," said Lee. "When we raided their building, I'd gone in with a partner. Her name's Tenten. We were ambushed by a group of men in one of the hallways. I managed to fight my way out, but Tenten was knocked out and dragged off. I caught up to them just in time to see her tied up and loaded onto onto one of their trucks. There were too many." He hesitated for a few moments. "So I ran. I just let them take her."

Naruto had no idea what to say. If they were willing to kidnap police officers, these Akatsuki must be getting rather bold.

"I know she's tough, and there's a good chance she can escape on her own," said Lee, "but I should've done something to save her." Lee paused a moment. "Look at me, spilling my guts to someone I don't even know."

"Believe me," said Naruto, "it helps to have someone to talk to."

"Anyway, I've told you all I can about this. Thank you for your time."

Naruto left the building, wishing he knew more. He realized, though, that just hearing as much as he did was a privelege. Lee certainly didn't have to talk about his partner. Rather than going home, he headed straight to the nearest library. He hoped to find out more about the Akatsuki.

He got there a few minutes later. He went over to the librarian's desk.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said Naruto, "where might I find information about the Akatsuki?"

"The Akatsuki?" she said. "Well, the only books that might help are over there." She pointed to one of the reference aisles.

Naruto rushed over there and started reading through any books that looked relevant. Unfortunately, none of them were of much use. Finally, he found a rather disturbing chapter, from a recently published book. It described the habit of some of the members, such as cruising around a town looking for something his people might want. Occasionally, this included kidnapping a woman off the streets.

Naruto could hardly believe it. The men who took Sakura did it entirely on a whim? It was all he could do not to lose his cool. He put the book away and decided he'd learned all he wanted to know. He thanked the librarian on the way out and went home as quickly as he could.

Once in his home, went to his bed and just lay down for an hour. In a way, he was relieved; at least Sakura's captors were no longer anonymous. Finally, he got a phone call. It was from Sasuke's.

"I hate to ask this of you," said Sasuke, "but could the kids and I stay at your place for a while?"

"Sure. May I ask why?" Naruto asked.

"I'd rather wait until I can tell you in person."

Naruto had never heard Sasuke sound so shaken. "Sure," he said, "come over." He then heard the clicking sound of Sasuke hanging up.

Even though he hadn't been told what this was about, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling it had something to do with the Akatsuki. 


	6. Chapter 6

Sometimes, Sakura hated having to get up in the morning. A month had passed since her fifth anniversary, and she was no closer to seeing Naruto again then when this all started. She hadn't changed out of her wedding dress, since it was all she had from her old life. That, and they were too lazy to get her a change of clothes.

She still remembered the last time she saw Naruto. Shortly after they were married, they had a few pictures taken of them. As they were leaving for their reception, a car came out of nowhere, and a bunch of men came after her. They fought back, but in the end her assailants were able to force her into their car and drive off. She turned to look at Naruto, just in case she never got another chance to do so; she could barely see him through all her tears.

Indeed, it seemed all she really did was cry. She cried on their anniversary, on her birthday, whenever her "master" punished her for a minor or imagined offense. Sometimes, out of the blue, the tears would come for no apparent reason. No doubt it was from all her pent-up stress and frustration. She was doing her best to remain strong, but in truth her will to go on waned with each passing year.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a loud disturbance. She heard what sounded like someone struggling against two other people. Sakura was about to get a roommate.

"Let me go!" said a all-too-familiar voice. "I have a husband and two kids!" Sakura recognized it as Ino.

"No," she said to herself, "not her too."

"Dammit!" said Ino. "I said let me go!"

"Be quiet," said Itachi, the man who'd "owned" Sakura all this time. Then, to punctuate his order, he gut-punched Ino. Itachi and another man then threw her into the room where Sakura was being kept. The door was locked behind them just moments later.

"Hi, Ino," said Sakura, "long time no see. Although this is hardly how I wanted it to happen."

"Is that you, Sakura?" replied Ino. "It is! It is you. Naruto will be so relieved to know you're okay."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say 'okay'. So, Naruto's really been thinking of me?"

"You being taken from him has affected him more deeply than he lets on. I've wanted to help him somehow, but Sasuke's always felt we should let him sort it out on his own." Ino looked down. "Now, though, Sasuke's in the same boat. At least he has our kids to keep him busy."

"Come on, have a little faith," said Sakura. "Naruto and Sasuke are strong. They'll survive this. You should really worry about yourself."

"How bad is it here, really?"

"I'm not going to lie; you're never going to get used to being here. No matter how long it's been, or what they tell you, this place will never feel like anything but a prison."

"I know it's not my business, but..."

"Do I think about Naruto?" Sakura smiled weakly. "Often. In fact, my hope of seeing him again one day is all that's kept me going these last five years."

"I wish you had a chance to meet my daughters. They're identical twins. They have their father's hair and eyes, and sometimes it seems they got his personality too. A few years from now, they'll practically be raising themselves."

"It sounds like they'll able be able to cope."

"It gets worse. The people who brought me here also threatened Sasuke and the girls, and trashed the house. I saw it being set on fire as we were leaving. I can't imagine what's going through their minds right now."

"I know they're alright," said Sakura. "I just know it."

"These people who are holding us captive - they're the Akatsuki, aren't they?"

Sakura answered by nodding her head.

Ino had suspected this. "Then I wouldn't be surprised if we got more roommates in the near future. The Akatsuki have stepped up their kidnappings lately. It seems women are in demand among their ranks."

Sakura should be distressed right now, or at least shocked. Right now, though, she was simply relieved that she had someone other than her captors to spend her time with. Her captivity would now be a little more bearable. 


	7. Chapter 7

Sasuke and his two daughters only spent a few days at Naruto's, before he decided to rent a hotel instead. He could easily affored this until the house was safe to move back into. It turned out the fire damage wasn't that bad. Sure, many of their possessions were lost in the fire, but things can be replaced.

Naruto never asked about Ino, but his worst fears were confirmed when he saw the new report. He was just glad the girls weren't watching TV when it was on. They were worried enough about their mother. He found it rather inspiring, how the Uchiha family was able to deal with this crisis.

Despite being pregnant with her daughters at the time, Ino had attended Naruto and Sakura's wedding. She'd never stopped missing her childhood friend and was doing everything possible to get her home safely. Naruto always declined the various invitations to go visit the Uchiha home, and he now regretted this. Still, he had no doubt Sasuke would be able to raise his daughters on his own for as long as he had to.

Naruto then made the mistake of watching a special report about the Akatsuki's recent activities. At the end was a list of women believed to have been taken by this group. Sakura and Ino were near the end of that list, and seeing their names didn't improve his mood any. Just thinking about it was more than he could stand.

Fortunately, a welcome distraction came the next day, in the form of Kakashi and Anko's daughters. He'd almost forgotten about having to look after them. He didn't mind, since it would take his mind off recent events.

Naruto finally had a chance to meet the girls, Keiko and Nami. They were named after characters from two then-popular manga series. He never saw the appeal in naming one's kids after fictional characters, but who was he to judge?

"Hello, Mr. Uzumaki?" said Nami.

"You can call me Naruto," he said.

"I'm not sure," said Keiko. "Dad says it's disrespectful to do something like that."

"Come on," Naruto said. "What he doesn't know won't hurt you."

"So, Mr. - I mean, Naruto," said Nami, "is there anything for us to do here?"

"Well," Naruto replied, "I was thinking we could go to the park."

"Yaaay!" Keiko said. "I love the park!"

Once they were at the park, spent much of their time just watching their surroundings, although the girls went off for a while to play with some of the other kids. Suddenly, though, Keiko had a serious look on her face.

"Naruto," Keiko said, "don't tell anyone else I said, this, but..."

"But what?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you see, we know what happened to our mother."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Nami and I found out about Orochimaru, what he did to Mom, everything. We've let her believe she's managed to keep us ignorant because we don't want to worry her."

"Not that it's any of my business," Naruto said, "but that doesn't seem right. Your mother's tried really hard to keep it from you, and if you already know you should tell her that."

Keiko nodded. "You're right. I'll talk to her as soon as I get the chance."

The rest of their visit went uneventfully. Finally, Anko came to pick up the kids.

"I'm glad to see the girls in one piece," she said.

As they were leaving, Naruto could overhear Keiko talking. "Mom," she said, "there's something you need to know."

After they were gone, Naruto couldn't help wondering how well Anko would take the news.

Nonetheless, he hadn't been in such a good mood in a long time. 


	8. Chapter 8

At first Naruto thought Kakashi and Anko would be angry with him for butting into their family's business. To his surprise, they instead thanked him for convincing their daughters to do the right thing.

Three months had passed since then, and the Akatsuki investigation was making some progress. Officer Tenten managed to escape her captors, but not without several scars from beatings she'd received. Her information enabled police to shut down several of the group's operations. Unfortunately, there was no luck finding the kidnapped women, or the Akatsuki's leadership.

Naruto did his best not to think about any of that, instead focusing on getting the recently-vacated position which he'd wanted for some time. His main competition was Sasuke, who had to pay for babysitters now that he was raising his daughters alone. At the end of the day, since Iruka was now their immediate supervisor, he'd be the one to decide. Naruto couldn't help feeling for Sasuke, but he wasn't about to let them get in the way of his own dream.

As his way of testing Naruto and Sasuke, Iruka assigned them two parts of a project. Whoever he felt did the better job would get the position. Sasuke would handle the planning, and Naruto would be responsible to getting the supplies. As he left the two men to their jobs, he found himself wondering if he might've made a mistake.

Sasuke got to work right away, taking several books and pieces of paper to his desk. He was fairly certain he wouldn't need his computer, but he made sure it was turned on, just in case. He first read the company's handbook to make sure nothing he came up with would violate any policies. He then looked through records of similar projects to get a feel for what might or might not work. He then drew up a list of what he and Naruto would have to do.

He had just finished his list when he looked at the family picture he kept at his desk. He saw himself, Ino, and the girls all smiling. For the longest time he couldn't understand how Naruto felt about Sakura. He now wished there'd been a less painful way for him to learn. He resisted the urge to put the picture into a drawer. No, he wouldn't let anybody forget about Ino. Some of Naruto had apparently rubbed off on him.

Just to be safe, Sasuke typed up his list on the computer and printed up several copies. One for himself, one for Naruto, one for Iruka, and the rest for whoever else worked on this project. He went ahead and made some spare copies, in case anyone lost theirs.

Meanwhile, Naruto was out getting the things they'd need. Iruka had given him a "shopping list" and a company credit card, with a warning not to use the card for any personal purchases. It wasn't that Naruto wasn't trusted; that warning was required every time a credit card was used, due to past abuse.

Naruto went from store to store, until he had everything he was supposed to get. He was on his way back to the company when he noticed the car was low on gas. He stopped at the nearest convenience store to fill it up. Since this would be a company expense, he figured it was okay to use their card. A few minutes later, he was back at the office.

Naruto, Sasuke, and several others spent the next few hours working on the project. There were a few glitches, and more than a few arguments, but they were able to finish on time.

"I'm glad that's over," said Naruto. "That was hard work."

"I won't dispute that," replied Sasuke.

"It's just a shame we can't both be winners."

"Would winning be a big deal, if you never lost?"

"I suppose that makes sense."

As Iruka would soon reveal, though, they'd both lost.

"You know that position I was offering to one of you?" Iruka said. "It turns out the reason it was vacated was that Kakashi had decided to get rid of it. Neither of you will be getting promoted, it seems."

Later, as Naruto and Sasuke left work, they took a moment to discuss what had happened.

"It looks like we went through all that for nothing," said Sasuke.

"I'm not too sure about that," said Naruto. "It kinda felt good to spend the day just doing my job."

"Anyway, I'll see you later."

"Okay. Later!" Naruto then went home. Sure, he was disappointed that he didn't get the position, but he decided to put that behind him. All he wanted to do now was lie down for a while. 


	9. Chapter 9

It was the weekend, and Sasuke was trying to figure out something to do. His daughters, Misa and Takada, were staying with his in-laws for the day. Even Sasuke needed an occasional break from parenting. He'd since put all their pictures of Ino in the attic, except the one in his room; the girls simply got too upset when they saw a picture of their mother.

He suddenly heard a knock at the door. If it was a door-to-door salesman, or yet another relative claiming to know how he felt, there was going to be violence. He went up to the door and opened it. It was Naruto.

"What brings you here?" Sasuke asked.

"So now I need a reason to visit?" said Naruto.

"I suppose you may as well come in."

They went into the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?" asked Sasuke.

"Thanks, Sasuke!" replied Naruto. He looked inside the refrigerator. "What? You don't have any Coke or Pepsi, or anything like that?"

"We've never cared for carbonated drinks."

"Oh well." Naruto decided to settle for lemonade. He then went back into the living room. "Since it's just us, how about we go out and do something."

"Okay, then," Sasuke said. "I've been needing to get away from work and family."

"Sorry to ask, but could we go in your car? I, well, sort of forgot to budget for gas this month."

"You're kidding, right? Alright, but next time we do this you drive."

"We have a deal! So, do you have any ideas?"

"Ideas? You mean you haven't thought of anything for us to do?" Sasuke thought for a moment. "How about we have Choji come along with us? If it's just us, people might think we're on a date."

"You? Me? On a... " Naruto laughed. "That's priceless! Y'know, maybe it'll be more fun with other people around. While we're at it, how about we ask Gaara too?"

"That sounds good. Maybe the four of us can decide on something."

"Hey, Sasuke," said Naruto, "I don't see your daughters anywhere."

"They're staying with my in-laws," Sasuke replied.

"I'm glad they're willing to do that. My in-laws still haven't forgiven me for what happened to Sakura." A moment passed. "Sorry, didn't mean to be a mood-killer."

"Don't be sorry. I've also had my share of family-related stress." Sasuke hesitated for a moment. "I just got a letter from my older brother, Itachi."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"No. He ran away a long time ago, and in the letter he sent me he's confessed to being a member of the Akatsuki."

Naruto couldn't believe it. "Do you know where he is?"

"Unfortunately, he made sure there'd be no way of knowing his whereabouts. Actually, the letter was also addressed to you. He's offering to return Ino and Sakura to us."

"I suppose there's a catch."

"Indeed." Sasuke looked Naruto right in the eye. "In order for us to get our wives back, we'll have to join the Akatsuki." 


	10. Chapter 10

Two months had passed since Itachi sent his letter to Sasuke and Naruto. As he expected, they refused his "invitation" to join the Akatsuki. In truth, that letter was a test of their principles. Had they given in, he would've killed them and their wives as punishment for such weakness. As it was, he would continue to enjoy Sakura and Ino's company. It was his hope that one day they'd feel the same way.

He had to put this out of his mind, though, so he could focus on his current task. He was to locate Orochimaru, and attempt to recruit him. This would be difficult; ever since Anko's rescue, Orochimaru had been careful not to attract attention to himself. Itachi would just have to search all of his target's old hiding places.

Or not - the man he was looking for was standing right behind him.

"Were you looking for me?" said Orochimaru. Next to him was a man wearing glasses.

"Who's this?" asked Itachi.

"C'mon," Orochimaru said, "don't be rude."

The other man adjusted his glasses. "The name's Kabuto," he said.

"So, Orochimaru," said Itachi, "I see you now prefer male company."

"Were you looking for me just to pick a fight?" asked Orochimaru.

"No. Sadly, I'm here on business."

"If it's about the Akatsuki, tell your superiors I'm not interested."

"If you're not doing anything, could you at least hear me out?"

"Sure, why not? Just don't take my acceptance for granted."

Itachi, Orochimaru and Kabuto decided to spent the night at a hotel where they'd discuss the matter. Kabuto got two rooms for them, Itachi having insisted on his own room. The next morning, it became clear that getting Orochimara to join was a lost cause. Itachi thanked him for their time and they went their separate ways.

On his way back to the hideout, Itachi thought back to when he first joined the Akatsuki. It was shortly after he killed his parents. He had his reasons for doing so, but he knew Sasuke would never understand. So he left and went from town to town for a while. It was during his wanderings that he met an Akatsuki member. It took some convincing, but he was eventually allowed into the organization. With his talent and determination, he quickly rose up the ranks. Now he was in charge of all operations in his area. Tenten's escape was one of his few failures, and he was still trying to live it down.

His mind was brought back to the present when he noticed he was back at the hideout. He got out, only to be greeted by a lower-ranking member.

"Is there something you wanted?" Itachi asked.

"I just got word from our police contact," said the other member. "Orochimaru and Kabuto just turned themselves in."

Itachi realized what this could mean; Orochimaru might be telling the police what he'd heard about the Akatsuki in exchange for leniency.

"We'll have to move to another hideout," Itachi said. "Let's move everything we'll need to the trucks! I and one of the other men will get the women."

"Understood. I'll handle the equipment."

Within half an hour they were ready to leave. Ino and Sakura would be riding in one of the trucks; Sakura still hadn't taken off her wedding dress, which would make it impractical to put her in any of the cars. As soon as they were ready, Itachi gave the word and they left.

"I'm going to miss our old place," he said. "I suppose that's what we get for trying to deal with a snake."

Still, the place they were heading for wasn't that bad either. Itachi instead thought about whether he should have Orochimaru killed for his treachery. 


	11. Chapter 11

In the four months since Orochimaru told about the Akatsuki, police nationwide had gone on the offensive against them. The organization was now largely out of business. In addition, most of the women they'd taken were now freed. Unfortunately, Sakura and Ino were among the unlucky ones who had yet to be found.

There were bigger problems, though. Desperate to get the authorities off their backs, the Akatsuki now resorted to terrorism as a means to scare off public opposition. Not a week went by without a business or public building being blown up.

The company where Naruto and Sasuke worked now put the latter in charge of building security, while Naruto took over his old job. Naruto thought office work was somewhat boring when he could be helping keep his coworkers safe, but he realized this wasn't the time to be arguing about that.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was even more bored. Despite Kakashi's concerns, the company had so far been ignored by the Akatsuki. No doubt this was because Itachi wanted to avoid killing his brother if at all possible. He was relieving his boredom with an old Game & Watch he bought from a used game store. He'd played as Mr. Game & Watch in the Super Smash Bros. series, and wanted to see for himself what the old handhelds were like. He wasn't really that impressed.

He soon had to get back to his job, when the postal worked delivered the latest batch of mail. He went through the envelopes and packages checking for any hazards. This time, one of the letters had a white powder on it. This was a possible sign of Anthrax contamination. He was pretty sure that wasn't the case, but it wasn't his call to make. He informed Kakashi, having made sure not to touch the letter.

Kakashi addressed the employees. "May I have your attention?" he said. "I have reason to believe an item contaminated with anthrax has found its way into the building. I need everyone to exit in an orderly fashion."

Naruto waited until nearly everyone was out before leaving himself. He then went over to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke!" he said. "What's the deal?"

"Don't get mad at me," said Sasuke. "I just told Kakashi what I saw."

"So sending us out here was all his idea?"

"I get the feeling you wanted to take a break anyway."

"That's not funny! What if something bad really is in there?"

"I doubt it. I bet it'll soon be found to be harmless, then we go back to business as usual."

True to Sasuke's word, a few days later the powder was shown to have no traces of Anthrax, and everyone was back at work as if nothing happened. That was the only time any such incident occured.

After a while, Naruto and Sasuke switched positions. Sasuke was relieved to have his old job back, while Naruto found out the hard way how unexciting his new job was. Still, he gave it his best effort, not the least of which because he was hoping this was earn him his next big promotion.

Eventually, the Akatsuki's attacked ceased. Naruto figured they either realized their tactics were backfiring, or they no longer had a presense in his area. In any case, while he kept his security position on paper, in fact he was largely back to doing what he did before it all started.

Finally, the work day ended, and Naruto couldn't wait to get home. On the way there, he stopped by one of his ramen shops and had dinner. Once he was home, he turned on the TV and watched some game shows. Few things entertained him more than watching people humiliate themselves in the slim hope of winning some money.

This diversion was interrupted by a special report about the ongoing collapse of the Akatsuki. He continued to watch, though, hoping for some news about Sakura. He was ultimately disappointed. He was glad when the network went back to its regular programming.

Finally, he turned off the TV and went to bed. 


	12. Chapter 12

Less than two months after the "attack" on the company's office, it became clear that the Akatsuki were finished as an organization. Their leadership was in jail awaiting trial, and their former subordinates had formed splinter groups that were now fighting for territory. It would take a while to round everyone up, but it seemed the people would no longer have to live in fear.

Not that this had anything to do with Naruto these days. He'd been formally relieved of his security post, which Kakashi saw fit to abolish since it was no longer needed. Naruto was now fully back at his old job, which was just as well. He liked that things were back to normal.

His sixth anniversary would be in a few days, and he already had arrangements to take that day off. Like last year, he really didn't have anything planned for the day. He really didn't care for plans; he'd rather just act.

After work, Naruto went to his usual spot for dinner, but afterward he went to a bar to get a drink. On his way home, he ran into Sasuke.

"Geez, Naruto," said Sasuke, "how much did you have to drink?"

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am!" replied Naruto.

"How about you stay at my place, until you sober up? Besides, I could use the company."

Once at Sasuke's place, Naruto sat down on the nearest chair.

"I think I did overdo it," Naruto said. "Hey, may I watch some TV?"

"Sure," said Sasuke, "as long as you don't order any Pay-Per-View."

"Like I'd waste my money on that!"

After channel surfing for a few minutes, Naruto came across a new special about the rise and fall of the Akatsuki. Much of it consisted of footage never before seen outside the organization. Occasionally, he saw a man who looked remarkably like Sasuke. He had no doubt this was Itachi. There were also filmed executions of traitors and police informants, no doubt as an example to would-be betrayers.

Naruto was shocked to hear that some of the organization's members committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the authorities. Some of them decided instead to go down in a final shootout.

By the time the show ended, he was more or less ready to quit watching it.

"Yo, Sasuke," said Naruto, "I notice you have a Wii! You up for some Smash Bros.?"

"Sure," said Sasuke.

They played for nearly two hours, with Sasuke winning nearly three quarters of their matches. Finally, though Naruto decided it was time for him to head home.

"Next time I need someplace to crash," said Naruto, "I'll be sure to call you."

"Uh, yeah," replied Sasuke, "don't get used to it."

Naruto went home and went to bed, no longer feeling the effects of his visit to the bar.

The next few days went by without incident, and finally it was Naruto's anniversary. He couldn't really decide what to do. He though maybe this year he would just go ahead and spend the day at home. He was still running ideas through his head when the phone rang. He went and picked it up.

"Hello. Is this Naruto Uzumaki?" said the voice on the other end.

"Yeah, it's me," Naruto replied.

"I'm calling from the police station. We found your wife a few hours ago, and we now have her with us. If you can come over..."

"Are you kidding? I'll be right there!" Naruto hung up the phone, got ready, and ran out the door. 


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto got into his car and drove toward the police station. He knew he could get there faster if he wanted to, but something was making him hesitate. He'd waited six years to see Sakura again, so why was he taking his time?

He then realized he might be afraid of what could happen when he greeted her. He missed her and couldn't wait to be reunited with her, but he wasn't sure she felt the same way. For some reason he felt she might be angry with him for failing to protect her all those years ago. After a few minutes, though, he decided she could go ahead and be angry with him. He would still be there for her. After that, there was no further hesitation on his part.

Within minutes he was at the station. He went inside and walked up to the front desk. "Hello," he said, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm here about..."

"Come this way," said Officer Lee, who came out of the hall. "She's in my office."

Naruto followed Lee down the hall to a nondescript room. "Is this it?"

"Yes. I think I'll give the two of you a moment to yourselves, but if you need me I'll be right outside."

Naruto walked inside and closed the door behind him. He then saw Sakura sitting across the room, behind Lee's desk. After all this time, she'd never taken off her wedding dress. From the look on her face, he could tell she hadn't been treated all that well.

As soon as she saw Naruto, though, her expression changed. She began to smile, and while she was crying he knew they were happy tears. She got out of the chair and out from behind the desk; this was somewhat difficult with her dress on. She then went over and hugged Naruto, her tears now flowing freely.

"Oh, Naruto," Sakura said, "I don't know if I can express how much I missed you! That whole time they had me, I never stopped dreaming of this day. Another year with him, and I might've, that is I was thinking of..." It was clear she couldn't bring herself to finish her thought.

"Please, Sakura, just stop," said Naruto. "You'll be okay now, and that's all that matters."

"Yes, Naruto you're right." She sensed Naruto thinking of something else. "If you're worried about Ino, don't be. She and I were rescued at the same time, and she's no doubt back with Sasuke by now."

"That's good to hear," said Naruto. "I'll ask Officer Lee if it's okay for me to take you home."

"Actually, the police have no need for any testimony. Itachi and his men took their own lives rather than surrender."

"That's great!" In fact, Naruto was somewhat disappointed. He'd been looking forward to paying Itachi back himself. That was no longer an issue, though, so he put it out of his mind.

"As for what you were saying earlier, yes, please take me home. I'd like to change out of my dress now."

Once Lee gave the okay, Naruto and Sakura left the station and got into the car. Sakura could tell, just by looking at the passing buildings, that life had gone on without her. She then realized that she couldn't just reappear in people's lives and act like the last six years hadn't happened. She'd deal with that later; this day was about her and Naruto.

Finally, they reached their home. After Naruto parked the car, he helped Sakura out, and then they went inside. She went and sat down on the nearest chair. She was happy to be home.

"I'll go get your clothes," said Naruto. "I boxed it all up and put it in the attic, and..."

"I'm in no rush," said Sakura. "I don't think I'll be needing clothes for a while."

Naruto got what Sakura meant; he picked her up and carried to their bedroom. She then sat on the bed while he made sure to turn off the phones. They didn't want anything interrupting them.

"Uh, Naruto?" said Sakura, turning her back to him. "Could you unzip me?"

"Sure," said Naruto. He undid the zipper and helped Sakura out of her dress. He then undressed himself.

They both knew there were unresolved issues from their ordeal, but that could wait until tomorrow.

THE END 


End file.
